French version of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment questionnaire-BITSEA.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the French version of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA). METHODS The sample consisted of 589 low-risk infants aged 12-36 months and their parents. Parents completed the BITSEA, the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5 (CBCL - 18 months to 5 years version), and the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF). RESULTS Multitrait-multimethod and confirmatory factor analyses revealed adequate psychometric properties for the French version of the BITSEA. Scores on the BITSEA Problem scale were positively correlated to all CBCL and PSI-SF subscales, whereas negative correlations were found between BITSEA Competence scale and CBCL and PSI-SF subscales. The BITSEA Problem score significantly increased with level of parental worry, examined through a single-item question that is part of the BITSEA. CONCLUSION Findings support the validity of the French version of the BITSEA. However, additional work on the clinical validity of the BITSEA, including with at-risk children, is warranted.